Motor car control mechanism



Dec. 21, 1937. R. G. COATES MOTOR CAR CONTROL MECHANISM 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Dec. 23, 1952 Dec. 21, 1937. R. a. COATES MOTOR CAR CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Dec. 25, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 21, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,108,586 MOTOR CAB CONTROL MECHANISM 7 Ray G. Coatcll, Pasadena, Calif. Application December 23, 1932, Serial No. 648,550

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danger that the foot may not succeed in catch-.

ing the brake pedal in an emergency action.

The object of my invention is to reduce the time 15 required to open the clutch and apply the brakes of motor cars.

A second object is to accomplish the above results with the least physical effort on the part of the operator.

Another object is to have the necessary operations of control to-automatically occur in their 7 proper sequence so that various acts of control will not interfere with each other.

Attempts have been made to accomplish the 25 above-results. Most of these attempts require an independent source of pressure to actuate the necessary auxiliary motors. Further, the normal position of the control member involves a different relation of the parts of the mechanism than 30 occurs in my invention.

My invention normally maintains the engine clutched to the driving mechanism, yet allows the operator to free wheel intentionally; to speedup the engine or to slow it down; to open or close the clutch; to apply the brakes with partial or full pressure; all with easy and natural movements of the operator and without having to change from one control to another at the in stant of an emergency. These advantages are 40 obtained without interfering with the usual controls, which latter may be used at any time.

" My invention is an improvement on Patent #1,887,23l, dated November 8th, 1932 issued to me, in which patent the acceleratormember con- 45 trols the feeding of fuel to the engine and also the opening and closing of the clutch. In this present application the control of the brakes is added to the control of the fuel, thus placing under 60 one member practicably instantaneous power operation of all auxiliaries used in motor car control.

The accompanying drawings and description show a method of carrying out my invention. I

u do not limit mys lf t this particular method but contemplate using all constructions to which it may be applied.

The drawings show, diagrammatically, views of a method oi. carrying out my invention. Figure 1 is an elevation of the device as viewed from the 5 left side of the car. In this view parts of several members are broken away to more clearly display members behind them. Parts are also in section where this will add to clearness. These sectional parts are self explanatory. The partial l0 sectional views around axle I! are on the line l--l of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the control member group taken through the center line of the member's axis on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a partial sectional view of Figure 2 in a plane parallel to its base and on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a part of the valve showing the port relations more clearly than in the other figures.

In the drawings l represents the pedal lever which commonly applies the brakes. It swings on the center 2 and carries the usual foot piece 3.

It is partially broken away at the upper part in order to show the mechanism behind it. At 4 the brake rod 60 is connected, which rod conventionally represents the intermediate mechanism throughwhich the movements of the brake lever l result in the brake shoes taking hold of the brake drums. As is usual themore the brake I pedal lever is moved to the left the greater is the force applied to the brake drums. The pedal lever I may return to its normal released position by the reaction of the usual brake springs or by any appropriate method now practiced in this art. This is conventionally illustrated by the spring 6| attached at one end to the clamp 62 on the brake rod 60 and at the other end to the chassis, or its equivalent. 40

On the pedal lever l is a pin 5 carrying a link 6 which latter is pinned to the piston I in the common manner. Piston I freely traverses the cylinder 8 yet is air-tight so that a sufiicient fall of pressure in cylinder 8 will cause the atmospheric pressure to move I towards the closed end of the cylinder, which latter is shown partly broken away in order to show the parts behind it. This movement carries the link 6 and pin Sand pedal lever I along with it and causes an ap- 5o plication of the brakes.

The intake of the engine is conventionally indicated by 9 and at In is, also conventionally indicated, the throttle valve controlling the application of fuel to the engine. The throttle valve is normally closed except for enough fuel to maintain the engine at "idling speed". This position of the valve is effected by the spring II, one end of which is attached to theintake 5 at I2, or to any other suitable place, and the other end to the throttle rod I3 at a point I4. The throttle rod I3 is connected tothe throttle valve at one end and to the bell crank I3, at the other end, by the pin I3. The bell crank I3 is supported by and swings on the axle I1 and its upper end contacts with the member I3 at the point I9.

This member I8 is the control member of the power auxiliaries of the car. It is so supported on the axle I1 as to permit the left end to move through the arc Illi to I33. If the control member I8 is depressed at its left end it will contact with the bell crank I3 at the point I9 and I3 will then rotate around l1 and the throttle rod I3 will be carried to the right thereby opening throttle valve l8. Control member i3 is normally in position I88 and the throttle valve is closed exoept'for enough fuel to maintain the engine idling. F 3

Around the axle I1 is a coiled spring 23 whose two ends project downwards through the open ing 2| in the spring cage 22, which latter is rigidly atached to the fin 23 which forms one edge of the control member I8. The ends of spring 23 pass on into a rectangular opening 24 (shown dotted in Figure 3) in the base 25 which opening co acts with cage 2| in restraining spring'23. The cages 2| and 24 are so proportioned that the spring 23, when assembled 'un'der initial stress, contacts near its ends with both 2| and 24. The stress on spring 23 thus ties 2| and 24 together until the pressure on control member i3 overcomes the initial stress on spring 23. If

" member I8 is movedeither way from position I33 spring 23 is additionally stressed, and if said member is then released it will return to position I33 by the reaction of spring 23. Position 138 is the normal position of member I8. If member I8 is depressed at the left end throttle valve I3 opens and speeds up the engine. The range of movement of member i8 from position I33 to position I3I is suillcient to allow member I8 to assume various positions sons to feed fuel for various speeds of the engine.

Axle I1 is supported by columns 23 which latter are a part of the base 25, which base may be secured to the front floor boards 3| of the car. The duplex lever 21 is journaled on the pin 28. This pin 28,.showndotted in Figure 1 because it is on the'far side of lever I in said figure, is integral with said lever, or is welded to it, or secured by 'other satisfactory means. The other end'of 21 is journaled at 29 to the member 33 which connects 21 to the control member I8. Thus when control member I8 is moved duplex lever 21 also moves and in the same direction. v

A valve body 3| is connected by the conduit 32 to the intake 9 at a point on the engine side of the throttle valve I3. Valve body 3| is provided with a port 33, a port'34, and a port 33. Port 33 is the point of connection of conduit'32 leading to intake 9. Port 34 is connected to conduit 33 and port 33 connects with cylinder 8 via conduit 31. Valve 38 is connected at 4| with the valve rod 39, the other end of this valve rod being connected to the duplex lever 21 by the pin 43, located about half way between the two ends of 21. In .the position shown ports 34 7 and 35 are open to the atmosphere at the right arcane valve body at port 33 is the same as that in the intake 3. If the control member I8 is depressed at itsleft end then the duplex lever 21 will swing around pin 28 as a center and this will move points 43 and 4| and attached valve 38 to the left, leaving the ports 34 and 33 still exposed to the atmospheric pressure, therefore in feeding fuel to the engine by control member I3 the valve 38 simply moves to the left without any effect on the members controlled by the ports 34 and 33. If control member I8 is released valve 38 returns to the position shown in Figure 1.

Spring cage 22 contains an opening 42 through which pass the two ends of an initially stressed coiled spring 43 also hung on the axle I1. A spacer 44 may also be placed on I1 to keep the springs 23 and 43 in their proper positions on the axle. The ends of spring "also extend well into the opening 24 which confines spring 23, heretofore mentioned. ()pening 42 is smaller than opening 2| and it is so placed, as regards the restraining edges of 24, that the control member I3 must rise at the left end before an end of spring 43 comes in contact with said edges.

If the left end of control member I8 is raisedto position I32, one end of spring 43 will contact with the upper edge of opening 24 and the control member I8 will immediately offer a suddenly increased resistance to further movement in the samedirection. To raise the left end of member I8 the right end is depressed.

When control member I3 moves from position I38 to position I32 it carries duplex lever 21 to the right and this moves valve 38 so as to open port 34 to the pressure in the intake 9. Conduit 33 leads from port 34 to cylinder 48' provided 'with the piston'41, which latter is operatively.

connected with the clutch pedal lever 49. Parts 46, 41, and.49 are shown conventionally. Thus when valve 33 opens port 34 to intake pressure,

4 the pressure in cylinder 48 falls and the piston 41 retreats, thereby carrying the link 48 and clutch lever 49 tothe left and opening the clutch. Since up tothis point the brake lever I carrying the pin 28 has not moved, the actions of the I control member I8, and its connected parts, be-

tween the positions MI and I82 are equivalentand the connected cylinder 8 and the piston 1 withdraws into the cylinder, carrying link 8 and brake lever I to the left, thereby applying pressure on the brakes through connection 4. The movement of brake lever I to the left also moves the pin 28 and duplex lever 21 in the same direction, thus moving point 43 and valve 38 to the left. This action cuts off the connection of cylinder 3 with the intake 3 so that less than the maximum force will be applied to the brakes. If the control member I8 is moved to the extreme position I33 then the return movement of point 28, of brake lever I, will not be sufllcient to cut off the connection of cylinder 8 with intake 9, therefore maximum pressure will be applied to the brakes.

A clutch should open promptly and not be allowed to drag, therefore the distance from posibrake pedal, nor any danger, in an emergency, of

tion I00 to position I02 may be a short one arranged to furnish a prompt maximum force of the clutch opening mechanism without requirements for partial pressures in cylinder 46. This leaves the larger part of the arc of movement of control member I8 between positions I00 and I03 for controlling the partial pressure applications of the brakes. This are between positions I02 and I03 is sufliciently long to provide varying positions of control member I8 so that the pressure in cylinder 8 can be graded as road conditions 1 require. A small amount of lap given to the valve 38, after the methods practiced in this art for many years, will enable the pressure to be maintained in cylinder 8 as may be desired. It will be particularly noted that the brakes are set only after the clutch has been opened, and that they are released before the clutch can be closed. For emergency movements the right hand end of member I 8 is depressed instantly to the limit and the-sequence of operations occurs in the order required, viz. the pressure falls in the intake 9; the clutch opens; and the brakes are set, all almost instantaneously.

If control member I8 is released, after having been depressed at its right hand end bythe operator, springs 20 and 43 jointly restore it to position I02 and then spring 20 alone moves it back to normal position at I00.

Whenever control member I8 moves from normal' towards position I03 spring 20 resists this motion. This resistance is strong enough for the operator to notice yet one that the operator can easily overcome The increased resistance of spring 43 is deiinite evidence that the clutch range of control pedal I8 is passed and that the .brake range has been reached. -Since both tional.

trol member I8, yet a resistance that can be controlled by the amount of initial stress applied.

In use the operator exerts no pressure on control member I8, which normally assumes, with a prearranged initial stress on spring 20, a firm position at I00. In this position the engine is idling and the clutch is engaged. By pressing down the left end of member I8 fuel is fed to the engine and the latter speeds up. If the operator relaxes the pressure the member I8 returns again to position I00 and fuel is again shut off to "idling." If it is desired to free wheel the operator presses down the right hand end of member I8 until spring 43 is felt. The clutch is then open and the car is then running free from the engine.

This is also the action for changing gears. The free wheeling is not automatic but is inten- Intentional free wheeling is much safer than automatic free wheeling. If the operator relaxes pressure control member I8 again goes to position I00 and the clutch again engages. If, while the car is running with the clutch engaged, it is desired to slow down the speed of the car the operator presses down the right hand end of member I8 until position I02 hasbeen passed. This first opens the clutch and then opens cylinder 8 to the low pressure in the intake 9 with a resuiting application of the brakes with a force depending on the position of control member I8 in the arc I02 to I03. By simply pressing down either end of control member I8 the operator performs all of the work necessary for an instantaneous control of the speed of the car. There is no loss of time, as now, in moving the foot to the failing to immediately locate the brake pedal.

Brake cylinder 8 with its piston I is shown in a position to pull at an advantageous angle on brake lever I. Limitations of space adjacent the sloping floor boards of cars may necessitate placingcy'linder 8 in some more roomy location, there.- fore it may be placed in another location and act on lever I in an indirect manner. Such a placing of the power cylinder of-an auxiliary motor is illustrated in Patent #1,851,274, granted to me on March 29, 1932. When such a change in location becomes necessary-conduit 81 will then be arranged to lead to cylinder 8 in its new location.

I claim:-

1. An intake; a throttle valve; a vacuum clutch-opening motor; a vacuum brake-setting motor; an operator controlled member yieldably maintained in a released position intermediate the ends of its path of movement, said released position involving the throttle valve closed to idling and the clutch-opening motor and the brake-setting motor inactive; a motor control device connected to said motors, to said member, and to said intake; means, connecting said member to said throttle valve, adapted to open said throttle valve when said member moves in one direction from said released position; means, connecting said member to said motor control device, adapted to start said clutch-opening motor when said member moves in the other direction I member maintained in a released position intermediate the ends of its path of movement by an initially stressed yieldable resistance but said member capable of being moved in opposite directions, said released position involving the throttle valve closed to idling and the clutch-opening and the brake-setting motors inactive; a second initially stressed yieldable resistance adapted to resist movement of said member when said member passes beyond the position governing the activity of the clutch-opening motor.

3. An intake; a vacuum clutch-opening motor; a vacuum brake-setting motor; a valve body with ports connected by conduits to said intake, to said clutch-opening motor, and to said brake-setting motor; a valve controlling said ports; an operator controlled member yieldably maintained in a normal position and fulcrumed intermediate of its ends; means to connect said valve to said member, said means adapted to maintain said clutch-opening motor and said brake-setting motor inactive when said control member is in normal position and to start said clutch-opening -motor before starting said brake-setting motor when said member is moved to one side of said normal position. I

4. An intake; a throttle valve; a vacuum clutch-opening motor; a vacuum brake-setting motor; a brake actuating mechanism; an operator controlled member yieldably maintained in a normal position, said normal position involving the throttle valve closed to idling, and said clutch-opening motor and said brake-setting motor inactive; means, connecting said member to said throttle valve, adapted to open said throttle valve when said member is moved in one direction from said normal position; a motor control device connected to said intake, to said clutch-openingmotor and to said brake-setting take; a throttle valve; a vacuum clutch-opening motor; means, connecting said motor controlmotor adapted to eflect its purpose simultaneous- 1y with a fall of pressure in said motor; a vacuum brake-setting motor adapted to eflect its purpose simultaneously with a fall of pressure in said motor; a device, adapted to control the pressures in said motors, connected to said motors and to said intake; and a manually controlled member journaled intermediately of its ends, operatively connected .to said device and to said throttle valve, adapted to control said device and said 10 throttle.

RAY G" COATEB. 

